Conveyor systems transport items down a primary conveying line. Often, the conveyor system will include transfer section which is used to divert, transfer, or otherwise move the items off the primary conveying line and onto branch or intersecting lines.
An example of such a transfer section is a right angle transfer unit, which is a device placed at the intersection of two perpendicular conveyor lines, to transfer an item from the main line to the intersecting conveyor line. The unit may include rollers conveying in the primary direction, and belts interspersed between the rollers which move in a direction perpendicular to the primary direction. The belts move when items are needed to be moved off of the main conveyor and onto the perpendicular conveyor.
Belts and components can wear out in such systems and require replacement. Replacement of belts and components in such systems can be difficult, time-consuming, and expensive. Moreover, such systems can require many interrelated components, all of which add to the cost of the system. Additionally, assembly and/or repair of such systems can be time-consuming and expensive, requiring use of multiple tools and the fitting of multiple components within tight spaces. In particular, repair of such systems can require multiple other components be removed to access the worn or broken component and replacement of that component, thus resulting in total system downtime. Additionally, the belts in such systems can often come off track, requiring replacement or repair.
Accordingly, it is desired to provide improvements in conveyor transfer systems and/or embodiments which address one or more of the foregoing problems.